1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improving the comfort and feel of handles of devices such as appliances, most particularly electric steam irons and similar devices which are gripped and guided by the hand of the user, sometimes for prolonged periods of time.
2. Description of the State of the Art
It is known to provide the handles of appliances, such as electric irons, with covers of foam rubber or sponge rubber to cushion the grip and/or for other purposes, and reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,324,226 (Murphy) and 2,639,521 (Rickettson).
The Murphy U.S. Pat. No. 2,324,226 relates to sponge-like rubber covers, such as sleeves, which are forced over the handle of a flatiron as a cushion grip. Such covers are unsatisfactory because they must be produced, separately from the iron, must be applied to the handle of the iron, and can become separated, damaged or lost.
Rickettson U.S. Pat. No. 2,639,521 discloses a sponge rubber or foam rubber pad which is formed separately from the handle of an iron, and then adhered to the handle, such as by rubber cement, to facilitate use of the iron. As with the Murphy Patent, the foam pads of Rickettson must be produced, separate from the iron, and then must be adhered to the handle in a predetermined manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,892 (Lo) discloses cushioned handle for appliances such as electric hair curling irons, comprising rigid molded plastic handle halves over which rubber or elastomer overlay surface portions are molded to form composite molded handle halves which are then applied to the appliance and connected to each other by means of penetrating forward and rear screw joiners. The rubber overlay portions are secured to the rigid plastic handle halves by penetration of the rubber into openings or holes in the handle halves during the step or molding the overlay portions over the handle halves. However, this process has serious disadvantages in that the handle halves must be individually molded, then the composite rubber overlay/handle halves must be individually molded, and then the composite handle halves must be applied to the appliance and united by penetrating screw joiners.